Little Man Tate (1991)

As a city bus driver for Queen City Metro back in 1991 I was one of two queen city bus drivers who would drive the bus into fountain square where the young actor was waiting for the bus. I remember that day /later in after noon Jodie Foster was directing ,but you would have never known her as she was dressed kinda in disguise I was proud to be ask by Queen City Metro Supervisors if I wanted to participate in this movie called 'Little Man Tate"I thought the movie was made very good and Jodie Foster's direction was great While I've never seen the whole Movie I may go out and get it and watch it all the way throughYou don't know how much hard work these actors and directors do until your up close to watch them workThank you for stopping by to read meDaniel Freeman Cincinnati OHio

I just became aware that Jodie Foster had done some directing. I watched Home for the Holidays yesterday, just finished Little Man Tate.This is what all American film should be. The writing is perfect. The pacing, the humor, character development, are fantastic. Enough attention is paid to all the fundamentals, like the shots and editing.In short, it's a wonderful take on the whole head/heart thing. Raw cognitive power is nothing without a healthy affect. The good news is that Fred is never really in danger; in danger of a tragic dehumanization. That's part of the delicacy of the film: No black vs. white, simplistic exposition here. This is a very, very colorful film that sweetly transits us from a looming rarefied sterility to the warm embrace of friends and family. Somehow, without spelling it out for Those of You On Drugs, you are left with the assurance that future opportunities for Fred to use his special gifts are no less secure for all that.

This story is a realistic account (I admit, I am assuming) of what it must be like to be a child genius, not fitting in with kids your own age nor with older kids. It must really be difficult for all involved.Adam Hanna-Byrd, as "Fred," is the star of the show and plays that young kid. Jodie Foster plays his mother. The kid's a neat little guy and the main adult characters, played by Foster and Dianne Wiest, are interesting, too. The latter plays the head mistress of a school for gifted children. She and Foster clash a lot about how to bring up the child.The only thing that marred this film was the language. There is too much profanity (six usages of the Lord's name in vain, for example) for a "family film" like this. There is no reason for all of it in a thoughtful, kid-themed movie. Anyway, it's still worth a look.It's nice to see Hanna-Byrd, in real life, is living much more of a normal existence, having gone to college and graduating in 2004

Little Man Tate was one of my favorite movies as a child, I don't know why, but maybe because my grandmother and I bonded over this movie, it's just special to me. But I was a little disappointed to see a low rating on IMDb, I think this is an absolute treasure of a film. Jodie and Dianne are just such a terrific pair of actresses and are perfect casting for the film. I know Jodie Foster was in charge of the film and she did a terrific job. The boy who played Fred was so charming and fit the role perfectly. The story is so touching and beautiful, not to mention original since the story of gifted children isn't really discussed that well.Fred is a young boy who is extremely gifted, his intelligence is something very special. But his mom, DeeDee, doesn't really let him expand since she is a single mom wanting her son just to be normal. But Fred is discovered by Jane Grierson, a professor of highly intelligent and gifted children, giving Fred the chance to expand his world and even takes him to college at a young age. Fred meets interesting characters throughout his journey learning that maybe life has more to offer than what he used too.Little Man Tate is a very good movie and very charming. I know some might find it a little boring, but honestly, you have got to give this movie a chance, it has great drama and some fun comedy along the way. David Hyde Pierce was such a fun addition to the cast, he really makes his screen presence enjoyable, so does Dianne. But the whole cast is just perfect and seemed to enjoy doing this movie together. I would highly recommend this movie, it's a good one to watch.7/10